This invention relates generally to shock absorbers for electronic components, and more particularly, to a shock absorbing member for protecting the ceramic plates in an electronic ceramic filter.
Ceramic filters are frequently used in electronic radio equipment such as two-way radios, pagers, and the like. Unfortunately, such filters include fragile ceramic plates, and since two-way radios and pagers are often dropped, it is not uncommon for the above referred to ceramic plates to become damaged resulting in a malfunction.
A number of solutions to this problem have been proposed and have met with varying degrees of success. For example, it is known to coat the inner surface of a component enclosure with plastic to absorb shock. It is also known to employ rubber spacers and metallic spring plates. None of these solutions, however, provide the degree of shock and vibration protection necessary.
To overcome the disadvantages associated with known solutions to the problem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,908 entitled "Shock Absorber for Quartz Crystals" issued September 10, 1985 describes a shock absorbing insert for protecting a fragile quartz crystal. A Teflon carrier with sloping walls carries a number of dimple o rib shaped springs. These springs have varying spring rates increasing as they get farther from the base. The carrier is supported by a cushion spring system having a lower spring rate than that of the dimple or rib springs. This structure allows the force of mechanical shock to be distributed across the entire surface of the crystal rather than being concentrated at isolated areas of high stress.